Author of this article: Heather Luing, MD

The German Riding Pony is a unique pony breed that developed in Germany forty years ago due to the need for a large pony with the athleticism and temperament for children to compete with at a national and international level. Specifically, the German Riding Pony (GRP) was bred to be a competitive pony in the disciplines of dressage, show jumping, and eventing.  English pony breeds, particularly type B Welsh, were crossed with smaller Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds and Arabians with the goal of obtaining a smaller version of the German Warmblood. Within ten years, the German Riding Pony type was showing good results in competition and breeding.   As with full size warmblood breeding, registries developed in each region of the country and animals were inspected as foals and breeding stock at keurings or inspections.  The breed standard for these ponies include a small head, large eyes, small ears, clean throatlatch, a long neck set well on the body with a pronounced wither and a long croup.  They are bred for horse-like movement that is correct, rhythmic, and elastic with a large stride, expressive gaits and clear impulsion from the hindquarters.  The goal is a pony between 13.2 and 14.2 hands (138cm-148cm as measured in Germany) but of course many ponies go over size and there is a robust market for these small horses in Germany as well. 

Foals are inspected during the year of their birth, and exceptional individuals are awarded premium status.  Mares are inspected at or after age three and may be entered into a studbook, main studbook or premium studbook depending on their quality and bloodlines.  High quality mares can be performance tested to achieve the coveted designation of State Premium Mare.  Stallions must be licensed at age three or four and if successful, then must compete a thirty day performance testing prior to being placed in the studbooks. The Bundeschampionat is a national competition where the top mares and stallions ages three to six years of age compete under saddle.

Over the past forty years the Germans have enjoyed tremendous success in their breeding programs and are producing talented ponies that in all aspects but size resemble their larger sized warmblood “cousins”.  However, even in Germany, F1 crosses of welsh pony x warmblood or Arabian are still used and create some exquisite results that can go on to be successful in competition or breeding.  Chardonnay, a brilliant pony stallion that has won several prestigious competitions and sold at auction for a record price is a wonderful example of a successful F1 pony by the much utilized Welsh stallion Constantine.  America has recently gained awareness of these wonderful, athletic ponies and there is a lot of interest currently in importing, breeding and riding of GRP’s.  As many adult amateur riders tire of struggling with oversized mounts, GRP’s offer a wonderful alternative for the smaller adult dressage rider. 

Of course they also make wonderful mounts for children and will be utilized for the FEI Pony classes that are becoming more popular in dressage shows as well as pony jumpers and hunters.  Makuba was one of the first GRP’s in the US to attract attention in the dressage ring and the breeding shed.  Owned and imported by Klaus Biesenthal, Makuba has competed successfully in FEI dressage classes through I-1, combined driving, and has several offspring attracting attention in many venues. (See Magnolia 2004 premium filly registered Weser-ems by Makuba out of welsh-Tb mare Courtash Kotton Kandy).  Numerous GRP stallions have been imported and are standing in the US for breeding and several organizations, both German and American are registering ponies.

German registries that are inspecting ponies in the US currently include Weser-ems Hanover, and Rheinlander Pfalz-Sarr (RPSI) pony registries.  All three registries hold yearly inspections and both foals and breeding stock are recorded in the German studbooks and given German papers.  Weser-ems holds inspections with their warmblood affiliate the German Oldenburg Verband (GOV), Hanover pony registry is independent and has no affiliation with the American Hanoverian Association (AHA), and RPSI inspects horses and ponies at the same inspection.   American groups that have developed “sport pony registries” in the tradition of GRP’s include the International Sporthorse Registries and the American Sport Pony Registry. All registries have somewhat different qualifications and procedures, and many stallions are approved/licensed with more then one registry. 

Although GRP’s are relatively new to the US, they are quickly gaining momentum.  If searching for a prospect or mount you first must decide whether you wish to import or buy domestically.  Although there is vastly more selection in Germany, several agents are importing high quality ponies under saddle and a few domestically bred ponies are “coming of age”.  Finding a high quality domestically bred youngster is an easier task, and one that is fiscally wise considering the weak US dollar and the significant prices of importation.  If you are interested in breeding GRP’s, the registries provide the option of using imported breeding stock or utilizing domestically bred mares (Welsh, Arabian, Warmblood, etc) that can be inspected if they are of high quality and have proof of pedigree.  

When buying a GRP keep several factors in mind.  As with any horse or pony, quality, soundness and suitability for purpose are the first factors to consider.  With ponies, size does matter.  FEI pony classes that children (ages 12-16) can compete in require that ponies be 148cm or smaller.  Likewise, USEF requires ponies be under 14.2hh to compete in pony hunters or jumpers.  On the other side of the size issue, to compete in FEI level CDI competitions, the animal must be over 148 cm.  However, for adults wanting to ride in open competitions, there is no set minimum or maximum for height.  When reviewing a pony’s registration papers, consider what registry the pony is approved with and the scores it received at its inspection.  Premium status or SPS mares in a pedigree are always a plus, but not a guarantee of quality.  Like warmblood bloodlines, there are several very important stallions and dam lines in GRP’s that take time to learn and appreciate.  Luckily the US has several wonderfully bred imported stallions representing these lines.